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Identity requirements for driver's licence, learner's permit or WA photo card
Find out which documents you need to provide when applying for a driver’s licence, learner’s permit or WA photo card.
We have different proof of identity requirements to other states and agencies.
Please make sure you read the below information to understand what documents you need to provide. Please have original documents that are printed (not digital) and any supporting documents (e.g. marriage certificate).
When you apply for a driver’s licence, learner’s permit or WA photo card for the first time, you will need to visit one of our Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) centres, regional offices or agents and provide:
- A combination of 5 documents that show your full name, date of birth, and current address.
- Original documents – we cannot accept laminated or photocopied documents, or photos of the document.
- At least one document that shows your signature.
There are 2 combinations of documents that you can provide:
Combination 1
- 1 Category A document
- 1 Category B document
- 2 Category C documents
- 1 Category D documents
Combination 2
- 1 Category A document
- 2 Category C documents
- 2 Category D documents
The name on all of your documents must be the same, or you must provide evidence of your change of name that clearly shows the link between your birth name and current name. For example, a marriage certificate or name change certificate.
Category A documents
Category A documents are used to verify the establishment of your identity in Australia. These documents need to be current.
The following can be used as Category A documents:
- Original Australian birth certificate (not an extract) issued by an Australian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages (RBDM). Commemorative certificates will not be accepted.
- Australian citizenship or naturalisation documentation issued by Department of Home Affairs (DHA) or Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)
- Australian visa supported by an overseas passport
- Australian Migration Status (AMS) ImmiCard issued by DHA
- Evidence of Immigration Status (EIS) ImmiCard issued by DHA
- Permanent Residence Evidence (PRE) ImmiCard issued by DHA prior to 1 July 2017
- Residence Determination ImmiCard (RDI) issued by DHA prior to 1 July 2017
- Document for Travel to Australia (DFTTA) issued by the Australian Government.
Category B documents
Category B documents are used to establish the link between the identity and the person.
The following can be used as Category B documents:
- WA driver’s licence or learner’s permit card that displays the holder’s photo and signature (must be current or not have expired by more than 5 years)
- Australian interstate driver’s licence or learner’s permit card that displays the holder’s photo and signature (must be current or not have expired by more than two years and cannot be cancelled, inactive or refused)
- Australian passport not expired by more than 2 years
- Overseas passport that is current (expired passports will not be accepted)
- Consular photo identity card issued by DFAT
- WA Photo Card (not expired by more than five years)
- WA photographic firearms identification card
- Document of Identity issued by DFAT
- Current Maritime Security Identity card
- Current Aviation Security Identification card
- Completed Secondary Identification Statutory Declaration (E41) form. A parent must attend with their child and present their current driver’s licence for identification if submitting this form.
Category C documents
Category C documents are used to establish your identity in the community.
The following can be used as Category C documents:
- Current Australian EFTPOS or credit card
- Australian bank statement or letter, less than 6 months old
- Australian utilities account or notice, such as a gas, water, electricity or telephone bill, less than 6 months old
- Australian Tax Office Tax File Number Letter (original) or Tax Notice of Assessment Letter (original)
- Official document or letter from a government agency showing residential address, less than 6 months old
- A current residential tenancy agreement that shows residential address
- Electoral enrolment letter showing residential address, less than 2 years old
- Current Centrelink or Department of Veteran Affairs health care or pensioner concession card
- Current Medicare card
- WA Seniors card
- WA vehicle licence (registration paper)
- WA Proof of Age card
- Australian Capital Territory Proof of Identity Card
- New South Wales Photo Card
- Northern Territory Evidence of Age Card.
- Tasmanian Personal Information Card
- Queensland Photo Identification Card
- South Australian Proof of Age Card.
- Victorian Proof of Age Card.
- Marine licence indicator card
- Worksafe high risk work card
- Dangerous goods security card
- Security guard/crowd control licence
- Photographic Police or Australian Defence Force identification card (excludes civilian cards)
- WA working with children card
- Australian Keypass identity card
- WA Recreational Skipper’s Ticket
- Employee photo identity card issued by state/territory or Commonwealth government
- Australian Defence Force discharge papers, less than 12 months old
- Student photographic identification issued in WA
- School report, certificate of accomplishment or enrolment issued by a secondary school in WA, less than 12 months old
- WA Keys for Life certificate issued in WA, less than 2 years old
- Australian RBDM issued marriage, divorce or name change certificate (commemorative certificates will not be accepted)
- Certificate of Achievement (DL20) issued by an authorised organisation.
Category D documents
Category D documents are used to verify your residential address.
The following can be used as Category D documents:
- Letter from current employer showing residential address, less than 6 months old.
- Written correspondence less than 12 months old from a recognised education institution.
- Letter from Driving Access and Equity Program organisations showing residential address.
A document listed in category B or C containing your current residential address is an acceptable document for category D, as long as that document has not already been used to satisfy category B or C.
Identification options for learner drivers
Category B documents
You can use a completed Secondary Identification Statutory Declaration (E41) form as Category B proof of identity when applying for a learner’s permit or photo card.
Your parent or legal guardian must attend and present their current primary and secondary identification for the Secondary Identification Statutory Declaration (E41) form to be accepted
| Secondary Identification Statutory Declaration (Form E41) | Kb | |
Category C documents
You can use the following documents as Category C proof of identity when applying for a learner’s permit or photo card:
- Western Australian secondary school report (less than 6 months old)
- WA Keys for Life certificate (less than 2 years old)
- current WA Recreational Skipper’s Ticket
- Australian Taxation Office taxation notice.
Requirements for photos
When you apply for a driver’s licence, learner’s permit or WA photo card you will need to have your photo taken.
To ensure your photo meets the security requirements you must remove:
- your glasses
- any facial coverings
- any head coverings.
Head dress attire worn for medical, religious or cultural purposes does not need to be removed, as long as your face is clearly visible.
Facial piercings (such as lip, nose and eyebrow) are acceptable as long as they do not cause a reflection in the photograph.
If you require glasses or visual aids for driving, the condition ‘S’ will still appear on the back of driver’s licence card.
FAQs
Why are passports (Australian and Overseas) not a Category A document?
To meet the gold standard level under the National Identity Proofing Guidelines, we cannot accept a passport as a Category A document.
A Category A must confirm the establishment of your identity in Australia and a passport does not do this.
A passport can be issued many years after you are born or it can be issued by another country.
An Australian birth certificate or evidence from the Department of Home Affairs from when you entered Australia at the customs border are the only documents that verify the establishment of your identity in Australia.
Why are overseas birth certificates not included as a Category A document?
A Category A document is used to establish your identity in Australia.
This is either from when you were born in Australia and issued a birth certificate or when you were granted permission to enter Australia by the Department of Home Affairs.
We cannot be verify the validity or authenticity of a document that was issued overseas.
Why are commemorative certificates issued in Australia not accepted?
Commemorative certificates, such as marriage and birth certificates do not contain the required security features to be a Category A document.
Why are extracts of birth no longer accepted?
Extracts of birth do not have the same security features as an original Birth Certificate. Extracts of Birth have not been issued since 2005.
I don’t have a Medicare card of my own (my name is on my parent’s card) can I still use it as a C Category C document?
Yes.
Why are documents which were previously accepted for the grant of a WA driver’s licence now considered as a Category B or C and not a Category A document?
WA’s proof of identity requirements are based on the National Identity Security Strategy (NISS) Gold Enrolment.
When WA moved to the Gold standard under the NISS, the types of identity documents we could accept changed.